Railroad spike



Nov. 14, 1950 CLARK 2,530,229

RAILROAD SP\IKE Filed Feb. 11, 1947 IF: 12 .11 '13:; E F21. 5 11.21%

a e c? 4' IN VEN TOR.

2, gga 8i era/4K Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILROAD SPIKE Harry H. Clark, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 17, 1947, Serial No. 729,106

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates broadly to rail systems and more particularly to an improved construction of railroad spike for securing rails to rail One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simplified construction of railroad spike having means for locking the spike against accidental displacement when the spike has been idriven to position securing the rail to the rail Another object of my invention is to provide an improved simplified construction of railroad spike containing a positive locking device for maintaining the spike in position against the base of a rail with respect to a rail tie against accidental removal.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of railroad spike including a spring member at one side thereof which is operative to engage a rail tiewhen the spike is driven to secured position therein against the base of a rail for locking the spike against accidental displacement.

Still another object of my invention is to 'provide a construction of railroad spike having one side thereof preformed for receiving a resilient leaf spring member which is continuously effective whenthe spike is driven to secure position in a rail tie against the base of a rail for preventing accidental displacement thereof.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the improved construction of locking railroad spike as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a railroad spike showing the application of the looking device of my invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the railroad spike shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 illustrates the railroad spike and locking device of my invention with the spike driven to position in a railroad tie for securing a rail with respect thereto; Fig. 4 is a theoretical view illustrating the operation of the locking device of my invention under conditions where vibration of the rail may tend to dislodge the spike and showing the positive opposing forces introduced against such displacement by virtue of the construction of my invention; Fig, 5 illustrates the manner of driving the railroad spike of my invention to secure position in a railroad tie; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of the end of a railroad spike showing the locking device of my invention, the view being taken substantially on line fi6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7

is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 1-'! of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end of a railroad spike showing the recess in one side thereof for receiving the flat spring member constituting the locking device in the structure of my invention; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the flat spring member associated with the spike construction of my invention; and Fig. 10 is a side elevational view showing a modified form of railroad spike embodying amultiplicity of locking devices according to the principles of my invention.

My invention is directed to the production of a railroad spike which is locked in position in a railroad tie when it is driven to secured position with respect to the base of a rail. The end of the spike has a longitudinal groove or slot forged or formed therein adjacent one side thereof to provide a housing and guide for a stiff spring strip having one end welded adjacent the end of the spike and the other end yieldably positioned with respect to the groove or slot. When the spike is driven into the tie the spring strip is compressed against the body of the spike. As the tie commences to age and wear and under conditions of shock produced by the movement of railway rolling stock over the rails, the spike may commence to work out of the tie, but the spring strip serves as a keeper and forces itself out into the wood and prevents upward movement of the spike.

Referring to the drawings in more detail reference character I designates the shank portion of a railroad spike having a driving head 2 and a penetrating point 3. The spike is shown in an operative position adjacent the base 4 of a railroad rail and the railway tie 5. The shank portion I of the spike is provided witha longitudinal groove or slot 6 in one side of the spike intermediate the penetrating point 3 and the shank portion 1. by forging a recess in one side of the shank I or by milling the recess therein. The recess is constructed in a very special manner and has a uniform depth throughout the portion which I have indicated at ta in Fig. 8 from which it is tapered from the position 61) to the position in the plane of the side of the spike, providing an inclined plane or gradually curved surface 6e rising from the fiat plane constituting the bottom of the recess at 6a into the plane of the side of the shank portion of the spike. the recess 6 terminates at 6c in a linear transverse position with respect to the side of the spike while the lower end of the recess 6 is The groove or slot 6 is formed The upper end of curved as represented at Get. This construction of recess permits the mounting of the stiff piece of spring steel 7 represented more particularly in Fi 9.

The strip of spring steel 1 is provided with an inner flat face Ta which abuts against the bottom of the recess at to and terminates at its upper end in an outwardly inclined linear knife edge lb extending transversely to the spike substantially adjacent the transversely extending portion 6b of the recess formed by the groove or slot 6. The lower end of the spring strip I is rounded or curved as represented at id to conform with the curved or rounded end 6d of the recess formed by the groove or slot 6. The rounded end 711 of the spring strip 7 conforming with the rounded end 6d of the recess is spotwelded in the groove r slot 6 as represented at 8 adjacent the penetrating point 3. The spring strip I secured at its lower end yieldably projects from one side of the spike as represented in Figs. 1 and 6 in a direction of a plane which is substantially tangent to the curved penetrating point 3 of the spike.

As the spike is driven into the railroad tie as represented in Fig. 5 to the secured position represented in Fig. 3, the spring strip 7 is compressed against the shank of the spike and into the housing or recess provided by the slot or groove 6. When, however, the Spike starts to work out of the railroad tie as the tie ages and as conditions of shock and vibration on rail 4 tend to lift the spike I, the spring strip 1 tends to force itself out into the material of the tie 5 as represented at 9. The transverse knife edge 7b of the spring strip 1 tends to bite into the material of the tie at 9 and prevent upward movement of the spike.

The fact that the slot or groove 8 forms a recess or housing for the spring strip 7 serves to guide the spring strip 7 and form a protection therefor against transverse twisting or displacement. The slot or groove 6 forming a recess in one side of the spike may be forged in the spike or milled therein. The curved end 6d may be readily formed by the circular head of a milling tool.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated the spike of my invention equipped with a pair of spring strips or keepers I and 10. The spring strip I9 is arranged similarly to the spring strip 1' and serves as a further precaution against the working of the spike to a loose position as illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be understood that any number of spring strips may be arranged in the side of the spike as exemplified by the two spring strips 7 and Ill illustrated in Fig. 10.

Fig. 4 is an exaggerated view of the operation of the spike of my invention as the functioning of the spring strip 7 is such that the spike is prevented from creeping upwardly as represented by arrow ll so that the socket space 12 which has been indicated will not exist in fact. The expansion of the spring strip 7 into the material of the tie 5 prevents the spike from being dislodged from secured position as represented in Fig. 3. In any event the amount of creepage is extremely slight and is resisted and obstructed as represented in Fig. 4.

Although I have specifically described my invention herein as directed to a railroad spike I desire that it be understood that my invention is not limited to railroad spikes only but may be used in association with securing devices in heavy construction and in the construction industry generally. Wherever in the claims I have referred to a railroad spike or spike I desire that it be understood that I intend to refer to any form of fastening, securing or nailing device.

While I have described the spike of my invention in certain of its preferred forms, I realize that modifications may be made in structure and arrangement of parts and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

In a railway spike a spike having a straight side shank portion curved on at least two opposite sides and tapering to a penetrating point, one of said sides of the spike being recessed at the juncture of the straight shank portion and the curved portion which tapers-to said penetrating point, and a spring strip having one end thereof secured in the lower end of the recess in the side of the spike immediately below the juncture of the stragiht shank portion and the curved portion which tapers to said penetrating point and with the other end thereof normally extending in a plane substantially tangential to the curved tapering side of the penetrating point of said spike, the upper end of said spring strip being yieldably displaceable into and out of said recess immediately above the juncture of the straight side of the shank and the tapered portion thereof as said spike is driven to a secured position and when said spike tends to work loose from the secured position, said spring strip having the external surface thereof coplanar with the curved portion of the side of the spike immediately below the juncture of the straight side shank portion and the curved portion thereof that tapers to the penetrating point and normally projecting in a plane substantially tangent to the curved tapering terminus of the spike to a free knife-edge end immediately above the juncture of the straight side of the shank and the curved portion thereof that tapers to the penetrating point and in which said spring strip when yieldably forced into the recess is substantially coplanar with the straight side of the shank of the spike.

HARRY I-I. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Olson Feb. 28, 1911 

